Updates and Newsletters: The main news stories from the major sources, selected, compiled, and occasionally commented on by Michael Novakhov ("Mike Nova") | Public RSS Feeds on the various topics of Global Security | Topics oriented news reviews

Cemal Dede fled his home in a remote Turkmen village in Syria after warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State bombed the house next door. He had no idea he wouldn't be coming back. Dede says the Kurdish YPG militia did not let his family of seven return to Dedeler near the Turkish border, telling him it was now Kurdish territory and Turkmens like him had no place there. "When Islamic State was there, they persecuted people. Now there is YPG and they are no...

Whether it's reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It's all the news that's fit to watch. On YouTube.

US Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno has warned Russia not to create a crisis in Eastern Europe, saying his country is prepared for any possible conflict.

“We hope that the Russians wouldn’t (create a crisis), but we always must be prepared,” the general told the Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Odierno also noted that the United States is planning to increase its presence in the eastern European countries, deploying more weapons and soldiers in the region.

The general said the army would station tanks and other heavy equipment in Germany and add more “regionally aligned” US-based forces to Europe.

Washington is considering deploying extra tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles in the countries in the Baltics in order to accelerate deployments to Europe in a crisis, Gen. Odierno said.

“It would allow us to reinforce quickly, if we had to reinforce NATO,” he said.

The new report comes amid ongoing tensions between the US and Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

The Pentagon announced earlier that about 250 tanks and other armored vehicles will be placed in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

The United States accuses Russia of sending troops into eastern Ukraine in support of the pro-Russian forces, an allegation denied by the Kremlin.

In an interview with Press TV on Thursday, international lawyer Barry Grossman said there are people in the United States who are seeking a military conflict with Russia for their own economic profits.

“There are many people in the US establishment who would be ecstatic about a shooting war with Russia since that would send the US economy and their own profits in to overdrive,” Grossman said.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — I pay lots of taxes. Some of my money supports U.S. special forces, and that pleases me. I have no problem helping fund the U.S. Park Service or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I am, however, a tad uneasy about my tax dollars — and yours — going to support terrorists.

You think I’m joking? The U.S. government gives more than $400 million a year to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Last week, the Israeli prime minister’s office presented figures on the PA’s payments to terrorists imprisoned in Israel: In 2011-12, the PA’s Ministry of Prisoners Affairs transferred $150 million to imprisoned terrorists, released terrorists and the families of terrorists. Some prisoners are better paid than Palestinian police officers.

One might argue that these payments are charity — that most of the money goes to women and children who have no breadwinner at home. However, Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Issa Karake has not made that argument. He recently said that the salaries are paid “out of esteem for [the] sacrifice and struggle” of those who, under Palestinian laws, are seen as “martyrs,” “prisoners of war” and resisters of “occupation.”

In other words, both incentives and rewards are in place for the killing of Israelis (and, in some cases, Americans and other foreigners) anywhere in Israel — not only in the so-called Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza.

The salaries reflect the severity of the crimes. A terrorist serving a five- to 10-year sentence gets $1,200 a month, a terrorist serving 25 to 30 years receives $2,900, and those serving sentences of more than 30 years — for example, for the mass murder of women and children — is eligible for $3,500.

At a congressional hearing in Washington in April, Rep. Randy Weber, Texas Republican, asked Assistant Secretary of State Anne W. Patterson: “If the PA is paying for terrorists in prison, we ought to also be willing to hit them with some economic sanctions of that sort, don’t you agree?” Ms. Patterson replied: “I think they plan to phase it out.”

Two months later, Hamas, the U.S.-government-designated terrorist entity that rules Gaza, publicly ended its often lethal, seven-year feud with the PA, which rules the West Bank. The two entities announced a “government of national unity.”

Among the changes this new government has announced: The Ministry of Prisoner Affairs is moving from the PA to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and being renamed the “Authority of Prisoners’ Affairs.”

The PLO, and its political party, Fatah, are usually described as the main forces within the PA. In fact, there are no clear lines separating the three — and all are headed by Mahmoud Abbas. (To be fair, Mr. Abbas has said many times that he opposes terrorism, that it is unhelpful to the Palestinian cause. Also to be fair, he has never taken serious steps to end anti-Israeli incitement or eliminate financial incentives for terrorism.)

Speaking on official PA TV on June 5, PA spokesman Ehab Bessaiso explained with refreshing candor the reason for the name change and bureaucratic shuffle. Doing so, he said, will “provide political and legal cover” and “eliminate arguments … that [foreign] aid money [to the PA] is going to the prisoners.”

The interviewer asked if it was correct to say that the prisoners’ “rights — under a ministry that became an authority — will remain the same.” Mr. Bessaiso said that was correct: Salaries will continue to be paid as usual, with no changes, no interruptions.

Where the PLO and Fatah get their funds is something of a mystery. Presumably, they come from the PA but also probably from the Palestine National Fund (PNF), which has been described in the past as a PLO clearinghouse. Testifying recently before the House Foreign Affairs’ Middle East and North Africa subcommittee, my colleague Jonathan Schanzer recommended that Congress attempt to determine whether the United States directly or indirectly funds the PNF.

Under current U.S. law, aid is prohibited to any Palestinian government that has “undue” Hamaspresence or influence. The Obama administration argues that despite the creation of the unity government, so long as the ministries within the “unity” government are run by “technocrats” with no formal Hamas affiliations, American funds may continue to flow. The administration adds that these funds provide “leverage.”

Republican Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Marco Rubio of Florida don’t see it quite that way. They have termed the White House position an “end run” around the law and called for a suspension and review of aid to the PA. Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat, has suggested that, at the least, further conditions should be attached to U.S. assistance. On June 2, Rep. Nina Lowey, New York Democrat, said that unless Hamas adopts pro-peace policies, “funding for this unity government is in jeopardy.”

Ten days after she said that, three Israelis teenagers (one of them also a U.S. citizen) were kidnapped while hitchhiking near the West Bank settlement of Gush Etzion. On Monday, their bodies were found, partially buried, less than 12 miles from where they had been abducted.

Israeli authorities have named two Hamas members as suspects, adding that the pair acted with the knowledge and approval of senior Hamas political officials.

Should any of those responsible for the kidnappings and killings end up in an Israeli prison, they may be eligible for $3,500 a month. Some of that money may come from American taxpayers like me and you. I can imagine better uses for our hard-earned dollars. We will soon learn how many members of Congress agree.

Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Homegrown terrorism or domestic terrorism is commonly associated with violent acts committed by citizens or permanent residents of a state against their own people or property within that state in effort to instill fear on a population or government as a tactic designed to advance political, religious, or ideological objectives.[1]

"This is the wave of the future," he said Thursday on "CBS This Morning."

Federal authorities are looking into the possibility that 24-year-old, Kuwait-born Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez was inspired by the terror group to kill four Marines. If that is the case, Morell said it would be "the most significant ISIS-inspired attack" on U.S. soil to date.

"I think that's where we're going to end up here," Morell said.

At roughly 10:45 am local time, Abdulaeez had the armed services recruiting center under siege.

He pulled into the strip mall in a silver Mustang, shot off 25 to 30 rounds from an M4 carbine automatic rifle into the facility and then drove off, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

"He didn't get out the car he didn't do nothing like that. He shot ten times and then backed up," witness Keegan Green said. "Then as soon as he backed up, he put ten more in the building."

A pursuit ensued, as Abdulazeez drove 7 miles to a Naval and Marine reserve center, where he launched a second attack and shot four Marines.

He allegedly plowed through an unmanned barricade, driving close to 100 yards onto the base where he gunned down his victims, before being shot by local law enforcement.

Authorities continue to comb for information to determine what motivated Abdulazeez and remain on high alert for ISIS-inspired lone-wolf attackers.

"There have been about 50 to 60 arrests of individuals who are in some way inspired by ISIS in the United States since ISIS became a phenomenon, and those arrests cut across 20 different states," Morell said.

Abdulazeez was not on any U.S. terror list and the FBI said they have not found any connections to ISIS or Muslim extremists, but the continued threat of lone-wolf attacks remains a concern for law enforcement.

"You can have a young man who may not be in any contact with a foreign terrorist organization... but who is in his own home, in his bedroom, in his basement, watching videos, going to websites, who is completely self-radicalized without any contact with foreigners or with anybody in the United States," Morell said.

March 27, 2015

The February 2015 online edition of Risk Analysis contains a recently completed study by Professor Arnold Barnett of MIT. The study, which analyzes terrorist attacks from 1982-2011, concludes that recent terrorist attacks have tended to be targeted against rail systems more often than against aircraft. Some other interesting conclusions the report draws are (1) that intercepting such plots in advance is paramount, because most evidence suggests that it is virtually impossible to stop them once they have already begun, and (2) that security measures onsite are less effective than good intelligence gathering in advance.

Some anecdotal evidence certainly seems to bear out the conclusion regarding rail systems; during the period cited in the study, successful terrorist attacks on transit systems were almost exclusively carried out against railways. Just two examples are the 2004 bombings of commuter trains in Madrid, Spain and the July 7, 2005 bombings of underground trains and city buses in London, England. The other two points essentially assert that it is always better to catch terrorists and thwart their plans in advance than to try and stop them in the act. I doubt such a common-sense conclusion will come as a shock to anyone, especially when you consider that at least 50 terror plots against the United States were foiled during the period between September 11, 2001 and April of 2012[1].

It seems odd, however, that a current study attempting to analyze relative risks would choose a sample base limited to air and rail and that ends in 2011. As shown by the University of Maryland’sGlobal Terrorism Database, there has been a significant spike in global terrorist attacks overall in the period following 2011. The following graph illustrates this alarming trend:

National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START). (2013). Global Terrorism Database [Data file]. Retrieved from <a href="http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd" rel="nofollow">http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd</a>

Considering that a large portion of this increase can be attributed to the rise of ISIS in Syria, and based on the diverse targets of this group, one would be hard pressed to emphasize any particular pattern in more recent years. It is far more prudent to assume, given what has happened since 2011, that no location or mode of transport anywhere in the world is entirely safe.

This makes the necessity of citywide video surveillance systems incorporating video analytics based on LPR very apparent. This technology can combine the advance intelligence gathering Professor Barnett advocates in his study with real time situational awareness at potentially sensitive sites. Such capabilities are right around the corner; as we speak, the next generation of PlateSmart’s ARES is in its final round of testing before release. This software, which employs a proprietary Object Recognition algorithm created in-house, combines world-class LPR with new analytics capabilities including facial recognition and third-party database corroboration. A city utilizing the new ARES can track terrorism suspects by license plate, by face, and by other data points depending on what information they can legally access. The watchful eye of ARES can warn security officials if persons of interest appear to be “casing” any locations, including public transit stations, by the movement patterns of their vehicles. If any face or faces associated with those vehicles are detected inside buildings, officials can once again be alerted.

According to the Washington Times, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter stated recently that he believed the fight against ISIS would take longer than three years. If he is correct, it is logical to surmise that the situation will get worse before it gets better. From a domestic point of view, it means that we will likely see an escalation of terrorist attacks in the U.S., not only at public transit stations but elsewhere, and along with it a proportionally increasing public fear of them. As things intensify, there will be a growing public acceptance that the Federal government needs to be allowed and empowered to do its job, which means loosening restrictions on investigative powers and the adoption of the most sophisticated surveillance technologies such as LPR, facial recognition, etc. Over time, these technologies will only increase in their abilities to gather information from various sources including license plates, cell phones, social media sites, and others. The acceptance of these technologies will become a necessity that we ignore at the risk of an ever-increasing roster of victims.

Many cities in Europe, and even some cities in the United States, have begun to embrace the wisdom of citywide surveillance incorporating LPR and other analytics. With the new technologies that PlateSmart and other companies are making available, even more cities will be able to deploy such systems for even lower cost. Professor Barnett’s study highlights the necessity of protecting public transit stations, and these cities will soon be able to integrate their surveillance systems with the internal monitoring systems at such stations. But this evolving technology carries a far greater implication for protecting innocent lives. Put simply, security officials will have the most advanced technology available to have constant real-time situational awareness wherever they need it, increasing the chances of stopping terrorists wherever and whenever they are detected.

[1] Carafano, James Jay, Steven P. Bucci, and Jessica Zuckerman; Fifty Terror Plots Foiled Since 9/11: The Homegrown Threat and the Long War on Terrorism (Backgrounder #2682 on Terrorism),www.heritage.org, April 25, 2012.

»Obama on Iran Nuclear Deal15/07/15 19:19 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from TheNewYorkTimes's YouTube Videos. From: TheNewYorkTimes Duration: 00:00 President Obama is speaking about the nuclear deal with Iran that was announced on Tuesday. The deal has provoked criticism in Wa...

»Debt Crisis in Greece15/07/15 18:59 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from Voice of America. The IMF predicted that Greece's fortunes will worsen in the next two years, with its debt reaching close to twice that of its national economic product.

»Republicans Blast Iran Nuclear Deal15/07/15 08:45 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from VOAvideo's YouTube Videos. From: VOAvideo Duration: 00:40 Republicans in Congress said Tuesday the deal announced with Iran was 'worse than we had expected' and that the agreement would not diminish Ir...

»Iran Deal Ignites Fierce Debate15/07/15 08:23 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. The announcement that world powers reached a nuclear deal with Iran delivered a powerful geopolitical jolt, setting off what promises to be months of contention in Washington and aroun...

»Russia And Iran Are Trading Places14/07/15 16:58 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from U.S. National Security and Military News Review. After decades as an isolated rogue state, Iran appears to be finally coming in from the cold. And after decades of pretending to be a partner to the West, R...

»Full Text of Iran Nuclear Agreement14/07/15 16:54 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from Just Security. Just Security The full text of the Iran nuclear agreement, which was finalized today, is available below. now available. Just Security ‘s commentary and analysis on the Iran nuclear agreemen...

»30PM] – The Yeshiva World14/07/15 15:02 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from Yeshiva World News. [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] Two people were shot on Coney Island Avenue, Monday evening. The incident happened around 8:00PM at 862 Coney Island Avenue, between Ditmas Avenue and 18th ...

»Iran Nuclear Deal Reached14/07/15 13:53 from Mike Nova's Shared Newslinksmikenova shared this story from WSJ.com: World News. Iran reached a landmark nuclear agreement with the U.S. and five other world powers, a long-sought foreign policy goal of the Obama administration that sets the White House on course f...